SlingPlayer app now available for Android Honeycomb tablets

Sling Media has released a dedicated SlingPlayer app for Android 3.0 tablets that is available now in the Android Market. Android tablet users have been able to use the mobile phone version of the app in compatibility mode but picture quality suffered.

As with the iPad version, Sling Media will charge you $29.99 to download the tablet version. This is in addition to the $29.99 that you might have paid if you bought the smartphone app. The upside here is that the tablet variant features much better video quality and a new program guide that makes it easier to browse content while still watching television. There is also a new remote interface that provides easier control over programming.

For those not in the know, Sling Media manufacturers the Slingbox, a placeshifting / media extending device that allows you to watch media remotely over the Internet. The Slingbox connects to your home television or DVR box and allows you to view content from anywhere in the world over speedy 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi connections.

Additionally, the Slingbox can be used locally inside your home to share content with another television. I used a the device to stream content from my DVR in the living room to my HTPC in the bedroom when I watched television before bed.